Joburg’s plan to sell iconic gardens and clubs, and big win for Shell in South Africa

The rand faced a challenging day on Monday as investors considered U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tariff threats. 

The rand was trading at 17.89 against the dollar, approximately 0.3% stronger than its close on Friday, after briefly approaching the 18 rand per dollar mark earlier in the day. 

South Africa is also facing the potential of a 30% trade tariff on its exports to the United States, along with an additional 10% levy due to its membership in the BRICS group of developing nations. 

Domestic investors are anticipating the release of mining output figures from South Africa’s statistics agency on Tuesday, 15 July. 

This is followed by retail sales data on Wednesday, 16 July, which should provide insights into the health of the country’s economy.

On Tuesday, 15 July, the rand was trading at R17.95 to the dollar, R24.20 to the pound and R20.97 to the euro. Oil was trading slightly lower at $70.42 a barrel.

Here are five other important things happening in and affecting South Africa today:

Joburg’s plan to sell heritage sites: The City of Johannesburg plans to sell or lease heritage sites, including Marks Park, Pirates Sports Club, Zoo Lake, and others, to developers for high-density housing and commercial projects, causing public concern. [News24]

Win for Shell: Shell has received environmental authorisation to drill up to five deep-water wells off South Africa’s west coast. The company stated that finding viable resources could significantly enhance South Africa’s energy security and support economic development, though no timelines were provided. [CNBC Africa]

Big delay to end load shedding: Eskom has announced that the maintenance of Koeberg Unit 1 will be delayed by a month, with the unit now expected to return to operation in August. The 930 MW nuclear plant is currently offline for its long-term operational extension, which was initially scheduled for completion in July. [BusinessTech]

South African taxpayers’ money pit: S&P Global Ratings predicts that Transnet will face cash burn over the next three years. Due to its importance to the South African economy, Transnet relies on government support. The agency expects Transnet to miss its goal of moving 250 million tonnes of freight by 2030 and has downgraded its rating, citing an unsustainable capital structure without government backing. [Business Day]

ArcelorMittal still risks closure: Struggling JSE-listed steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa) has warned that without a viable solution for its long steel business, it will be forced to begin winding down operations before 30 September 2025. [Moneyweb]